On July 12, 2021, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, (Labor-HHS approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Appropriations bill by voice vote.  The bill provides a total of $14.7 billion in discretionary appropriations for the U.S. Department of Labor, an increase of $2.2 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level and $400 million above the President’s FY 2022 budget request. 

The Job Corps program received $1.83 billion, an increase of $81.4 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $75.3 million above the President’s FY 2022 budget request. Most of the increase goes to Job Corps’ operations and construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition accounts, as prioritized and requested by the NJCA in our FY 2022 request. A small increase goes to the administration account which was requested by the White House in the President’s FY 2022 budget. Notably, the bill also continues to include language previously secured by the NJCA protecting the Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers.  

The House Labor-HHS Appropriations bill has raised concerns among some Republicans over the removal of important language related to federal funding for abortions, but those concerns are unlikely to prevent the bill’s eventual passage. At press time, the final vote by the House Appropriations Committee on this bill was expected July 15, 2021, and consideration by the full House is expected to happen sometime later this month. 

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittees are expected to begin markup consideration this month, but it is anticipated most of the subcommittees will see further action in August and September. NJCA has learned that the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee will likely not consider its bill until September at the earliest.        

NJCA continues to directly engage with House and Senate appropriators to ensure the Job Corps program receives maximum funding and program flexibility for this fiscal year.